Terror in Tahoe
by Wtiger5
Summary: The BAU becomes involved in the search for a teen's attacker after Morgan looks up an old friend from collage. A stand alone story that falls 4 months after the Evilution of Frank in my AU universe "A Tangled Web". Features characters from High Mountain Rangers.
1. Chapter 1

_I promised in the intro to No Way Out part 2 that I had a crossover waiting in the wings. Originally it was supposed to have landed around Profiler, Profiled but when I worked out the characters' ages and the timing of this story, I goofed. Ironically enough, it now lands right in between episodes "The Evilution of Frank" and "Doubt". So it seems appropriate that I post it now. Since it's a crossover, we won't see much of our favorite profilers until about halfway through the story and I debated about putting in the actual crossover section rather than here but since it fits into the cannon at this point in my timeline, I decided to just put it with my other stories. For once, I edited my own work so all mistakes are mine. For those unfamiliar, High Mountain Rangers ran on CBS in 1987/1988 for 13 episodes. In order to make the two timelines work, I've brought HMR forward to 2007 so that the technology and so forth matches. In addition, it is a slight AU in that I have created the character of Lisa McMasters as well as smoothing out some timing inconsistencies found in the original HMR series._

_Criminal Minds is property of CBS and High Mountain Rangers is property of A. Shane Productions. This story is written for enjoyment only and no copyright infringement is intended. _

* * *

_BAU Headquarters_

Morgan looked up as Hotch called his name from the catwalk.

"How would you feel about accompanying me to Sacramento to teach a two-day seminar?" the unit chief asked.

Morgan shrugged. "I don't mind. I haven't been in that part of California for several years. In fact, an old college buddy of mine lives in that area." He narrowed his eyes as a thought occurred to him. "I thought the speaker lineup was already set. What happened?"

"Theresa Davidson who was supposed to present one of the lectures was in a car accident last night. She's going to be fine, but she's won't be out of the hospital before the seminar starts," Hotch explained. "We should have some downtime so feel free to call your friend." He turned and headed back into his office.

"Hopefully, your seminar won't end up like Dad and mine did," Reid remarked.

Morgan chuckled. "No movie sets in Sacramento, pretty boy," he teased.

"I wasn't talking about the movie sets, Morgan." Reid retorted with a grin. "At least you don't have a girlfriend to worry about if a celebrity takes a liking to you."

"Speaking of girlfriends, how is Whitney doing?" Morgan suddenly sobered as he recalled the attempted murders of Sarah Gideon and Whitney McAllister.

Reid sighed. "She's dealing with the aftermath of what happened with Frank as well as can be expected. She said she's looking into talking to someone from the hospital's EAP program. I didn't know this but apparently some hospitals offer counseling for their employees and since it's free for her, she wants to look into it. She still has nightmares although they've lessened in frequency over the last four months."

Morgan nodded, "Taking a life is never easy. Even if it was self-defense."

"Exactly. She's getting there but it's still just going to take time for her to recover."

_Lake Tahoe, California_

Matt trembled as he hurried from the building. He blinked rapidly as he tried to hold back his tears. This couldn't be happening to his little brother. Not to Cody. Not when he was only sixteen years old and had his whole life in front of him.

"_It's not fair,"_ he thought to himself. _"It's just not fair."_

* * *

_Twenty-four hours previous_

"Are you sure it's ok that I go see Jackie? I promised I'd go riding with you before she called to ask if I wanted to go shopping."

Cody glanced over his shoulder at his adopted sister. "Lisa, I told you yesterday that I didn't mind. It's not like the meadow is going anywhere."

The girl bit her lip still not totally convinced. "I know that. I just don't want you to think I'm trying to steal your mom or anything."

"Where did you come up with that idea? I've never thought you were trying to steal my parents. I'm actually kind of glad to not be the youngest anymore even if it is only by seven months."

"Oh you…" Lisa swatted at him even as she giggled. She smiled fully now, reassured by her brother's teasing. She had come to live with Cody and Jesse four years earlier at the age of eleven but at times she still struggled with feeling as though she didn't belong. Although she couldn't bring herself to call Jackie and Jesse "Mom" and "Dad", she considered Matt and Cody to be her big brothers and she felt safe whenever she was with them.

"You need a break from me and Dad anyway. It's not like there's tons of kids up here."

Lisa rolled her eyes at him as he grinned. "You're a dork sometimes Cody."

"Love you too, Lisa." Cody straightened up as he finished putting his day pack together. He tilted his head as the sound of Avila's chopper reached his ears. "You ready to go? Sounds like the chopper is here."

"I still can't believe Matt got Frank to come up here and get me." Lisa grabbed her duffel bag, slipping the strap over her shoulder.

"He was doing a flyover anyway and when he heard the plans, he volunteered." Cody closed the door to the cabin behind both of them. "Dad? I'm following Lisa to the chopper before heading out." Jesse acknowledged him with a wave of his hand. The Hawkes family patriarch watched as his two youngest jogged across the clearing, Dingy loping at Cody's heels and Cooper trotting obediently along. Lisa's blonde hair blew into her face from the breeze that also ruffled her brother's dark bangs. Sometimes he forgot that Lisa wasn't his biological daughter especially since she and Matt shared similar features. Just on the other side of the trees, Cody swung into the saddle as Lisa disappeared. Moments later, the chopper rose into view before pivoting gracefully and flying off into the distance. The young man turned back toward his father. "I'll be home before dark," he called.

"Have fun and be careful," Jesse called back.

"I will!" Cody nudged Cooper with his heels starting the horse cantering through the woods. He took a deep breath relaxing in the sounds of the environment around him. Robin had once remarked that the mountains were his world yet she had no idea how right she was. He was a child of the mountains. Born and raised there, he was more at home in the trees than he was in busyness of Tahoe. Although he definitely didn't mind spending time with Matt and the Rangers when he could. Especially when pizza was involved. Fording a small stream, he headed for the meadow. He was hoping to catch a glimpse of the family of deer he had seen the previous week. He hadn't had his camera with him that day so he was coming back to hopefully get some pictures to show Matt. As he got close to his destination, he slowed Cooper with a murmured word. Obediently the horse slowed to a walk allowing Cody to enter the meadow with little fanfare. This way he wouldn't frighten any of the wildlife that might be around.

"_Perfect timing,"_ he thought to himself as he spotted the animals feeding along the side of the clearing. Lifting his camera, he captured several shots before peering at the display. Satisfied at the photos he had, he urged Cooper a little closer to the deer. As he approached, the doe raised her head, her ears twitching with awareness. Cody instantly pulled his horse to a stop so he wouldn't spook the creatures but his efforts proved futile as the little family disappeared into the trees. Disappointment flooded through him as he watched them leave. After a few minutes, he continued his ride heading along the upper edge of the ridge. Dismounting he looped Cooper's reins over his shoulder and wandered through the trees. The fall leaves were just starting to turn colors splashing the mountainside with golds and reds. He sank down on a log near a small brook and nibbled on an apple and some jerky he had packed in his bag. Filling his canteen in the clear water, he relaxed in the stillness of the elevation with Dingy laying nearby. Finally, with the sun beginning to sink into the horizon and the air turning cool, he turned for home.

He started to mount, then stopped startled by the woman who suddenly stepped out into the open.

"Hello, I didn't expect anyone to be up this far." The lady smiled at him, shading her eyes with one hand.

"Oh, I live a few miles away. My family and I live up here year-round." Cody tilted his head studying her. "Are you hiking? Did you get lost?" he asked noting her lack of backpack and equipment.

"Oh yes. My husband and I got turned around. He stopped for a moment and I just kept on walking. I thought I heard the sound of a horse and there you were."

"Does your husband have a map? I can show you how to get back to the main trails," Cody offered. He held Cooper's reins loosely in his hand as Dingy barked and darted into the woods ahead of them.

"Oh, could you? That would be great!" The woman fell into step with him and they headed back into the trees. "I'm Christine."

"Cody, Cody Hawkes."

"It's nice to meet you Cody Hawkes," Christine smiled at him even as her gaze shifted sideways. Cody started to turn as he registered a presence behind him but never completed the action as the man viciously struck him with the butt of a pistol just behind his right ear. The boy dropped to the ground unconscious. Cooper reared slightly startled by the motion then ran off into the trees chased by Christine's shouts.

"One down, one to go."

"He's not dead yet. We aren't finished until both of Jesse Hawkes' sons are dead." The man crouched beside the unconscious teen. "We'll get him taken care of and then we'll radio the station and lure Matthew up here to join his brother."

"Revenge nearly fifteen years in the making."

"Indeed." Allen stood with Cody slung over his shoulders in a fireman's carry. "Now we'll will finish the job with a nice long fall."

* * *

Cody slowly became aware of the sound of voices and the feeling of motion. He tried to open his eyes but his head was throbbing. Suddenly he realized he was almost upside down and he jerked reflexively.

Allen swore as he realized their quarry had regained consciousness. He struggled to maintain control of the teenager, nearly dropping him as the boy fought for his freedom. He tried to gain a better grip but overbalanced sending both of them to the ground. Cody took advantage of the fall, scrambling to his feet and running for the trees. However, the dizziness from being struck in the head slowed him just enough that Christine was able whip out the baton she was carrying in her belt. Snapping it to its full length she swung hard making contact with his right leg just above the ankle. Cody cried out from the pain as he felt the bone snap and he tumbled to the ground. A hard kick drove the air from his lungs and he lay there gasping and helpless with blackness threatening his vision. Dimly, from a distance, he heard Dingy begin growling and barking. A yell sounded before a gunshot roared and the dog's barking turned into yelps that faded into the distance. He forced his eyes open to see Allen standing over him.

"Get a good look boy. I'm the last thing you'll ever see."

"Why?" Cody whispered. "Why me? I don't even know who you are."

"Your daddy owes a debt and you're the payment."

The statement didn't make sense to the teenager but he didn't have the energy to ask any more questions. Panic welled up as he felt himself being dragged along the rough terrain. Abruptly he realized where he was and what the couple intended to do. With the last of his strength he grabbed at the wrists holding him, digging in his fingernails as hard as he could.

"You little…." Allen shifted his grip easily breaking out of the boy's grasp. The edge of the cliff they had picked was just a few steps away. "Grab his knees," he instructed Christine. The woman obeyed twisting Cody's broken leg as she did, eliciting another cry of pain.

"Over you go boy," Allen remarked callously as together the duo swung their limp burden into space and let go. Cody vaguely registered the sense of falling before a huge wave of pain washed over him and darkness took him.

Allen stood staring out over the edge of the cliff as he absentmindedly rubbed his wrists where Cody had scratched him. He turned to Christine who was examining her leg. "You okay?"

"That dumb dog got me good," she muttered fingering her torn pants. "At least it's not deep enough to need stitches or anything."

"Good. Let's get back to the cabin and finish the job by luring Matt up here to join his brother."


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: I know this is a little different from my normal writings. I hope you all enjoy it. All mistakes are mine._

Jesse stood staring out at the mountains without really seeing the view. A vague sense of unease had been building for the last few hours. Cody was punctual and rarely late even when he was off with his brother. For him to not come home before dark was troubling indeed. However, Jesse knew that attempting to find him now would be futile at best. He turned away from the window but spun back as movement near the house caught his eye. Grabbing a flashlight, he hurried outside. He gasped as the beam illuminated a saddled Cooper but no sign of either Cody or Dingy.

"CODY!"

"CODY! WHERE ARE YOU?"

"CODY ALEXANDER! WHERE ARE YOU?!" Fear scrambled at Jesse's throat as only echoes answered his nigh frantic shouts. Pushing back his emotions, he took a few minutes to care for Cooper, yarding the obviously exhausted horse before hurrying back inside the cabin.

"Jesse Hawkes to Ranger Headquarters over. Jesse Hawkes calling Ranger Headquarters over."

"This is Flash. Go ahead Jesse." A sleepy sounding voice answered him on his second hail.

"I need to talk to Matt, Flash. It's urgent."

Jim Cutler was instantly alert. Jesse Hawkes rarely let his emotions show yet now there was a note of panic in the older man's voice. "Just a minute Jesse. I'll go wake him up." Laying down the mic, Jim took the stairs two at a time. He didn't bother to knock. He simply opened the door to the Commander's room before calling his name. "Matt, your dad is calling on the radio."

"Hmm?" Matt's tousled head lifted from the pillow. "What time is it?" he mumbled.

"Just past 0400."

Matt stiffened with sudden awareness. "Dad's calling at 0400?" he asked, all trace of sleep suddenly gone from his voice.

"Yeah, he said it was urgent."

"Something's wrong. Dad wouldn't call at this time of the morning unless it was an emergency." Matt threw on a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants over his boxers before rushing down the steps.

"Dad what's wrong?"

"Cody went for a ride yesterday after Frank picked up Lisa. He was intending to be home before dark but he didn't make it. And Cooper just showed up without him. There's also no sign of Dingy"

Matt felt his blood run cold at his father's words. "Was Cooper saddled? Do you think maybe Cody got hurt or somehow fell off?"

"There was no sign of any injuries and his canteen was still attached to the saddle horn." Each one of Jesse's words hit his older son like a punch to the gut.

"I'll wake everyone up and we'll be up there at first light." Matt was just about to sign off as another thought hit him. "Have you talked to Mom yet?"

"No, I didn't want to worry her until I was sure."

"I'll call her. She and Lisa can come here while we're searching. Flying Tiger out." The Ranger Commander signed off, taking a couple of deep breaths to steady his nerves. _"Cody knows those mountains,"_ he thought to himself. He turned around to see the rest of the team standing in a loose semi-circle behind him.

"As soon as I realized it was Cody, I woke the others. When are we leaving?" Jim asked.

"As soon as we get the gear together. We need to be on the mountain at first light. Frank, I want you standing by with the chopper in case we need a medical evac. Izzy I'm going to need you to go to my mom's and pick up her and my sister. I don't want them alone."

"You want them here?"

"Yeah. That way we can easily reach them if need be."

"Matt do you think Lisa would know where Cody was headed so we have a starting point?" Robin asked.

"I bet she does. He had Cooper saddled and ready to go when I picked her up," Frank added. "I'm going to get coffee and food we can eat on the trail packed. We're going to need fuel for the search."

"Thanks Frank. Hart start marking out a grid search starting at my dad's cabin and working outward. Robin check the first aid kits and make sure you have everything you need in case Cody's hurt. Cutler double check the climbing equipment." The rangers scattered to their tasks, none of them bothering to point out that with the exception of the grid search, none of that really needed to be done. Cody was like a kid brother to all of them and they were determined to find him.

"Matt, I'll head over to your mom's now. Are you going to call her and give her the details or do you want me to do it?"

Matt glanced over at the newest ranger. "You know on second thought Izzy; I'll do it myself. Just plan to keep them updated here once we head out."

"Are you sure you don't want me in the field too? You could use the extra set of eyes."

Matt sighed, torn between having the ranger in the field and having someone at the station whom he trusted implicitly. "See if Officer Evans is available. He can monitor the radio so we have you up there with us." Tucker Evans has been one of Matt's football buddies in high school and had proven himself a capable officer with the sheriff's department. Outside of his family and the rangers, there was no one that Matt trusted more to have his back.

"I'll call the station and ask if he's on duty today." Izzy excused himself to make the call.

"Thanks, Izzy." Matt took a deep breath rubbing a hand over his face. He was dreading what he had to do next.

* * *

"What do you mean Cody's missing?" Jackie stared at her older son.

"Cooper came home without him about an hour ago. Dad radioed me so we could form a search party."

"Do you have any idea where he went?"

"No. I'm hoping Lisa can tell us where he was planning on riding so we have a starting point."

"He was headed for Carter's Ridge," Lisa's voice came from behind them.

"Are you sure?" Matt asked directly.

"Yes. Cody saw a family of deer there a few days ago. A doe and two fawns. He wanted to show them to me and get some pictures to show you and Jesse." The girl chewed her lip. "You're going to find him, aren't you?"

"Absolutely," Matt spoke with more confidence than he felt. "We're heading up there as soon as we get our gear together."

"I want to go with you. I can ride."

The blonde ranger looked at his sister with gentle eyes. He hated to turn her down but time and speed were of the essence. "Lisa, I know you're learning from Cody and from Dad but while you're a great rider, you're still learning to read sign. We can't afford to miss anything." He laid his hands on her shoulders. "I'm sorry honey."

Lisa's face fell. "So, the best help is to just stay out of the way?"

"I'm afraid so. I'm going to take you and Mom back to the station so hurry and get dressed. Frank was making a quick breakfast when I left and it should be ready by now." The girl nodded and quickly retreated to her bedroom.

"Matt tell me the truth. What are Cody's chances?" Jackie's voice was low and sharp.

"I don't know Mom. It got pretty cold up there but he's resourceful and he's familiar with his surroundings. It all depends on what happened and whether or not he's injured."

"Promise me you'll find him. No matter what you don't come off that mountain until you find your brother," Jackie said fiercely.

"I promise Mom."

* * *

Cody drifted somewhere between unconsciousness and waking. He had no idea how much time had passed, only that he was incredibly cold and his entire body hurt. "Matt," he whispered. "Please come help me. I need you."

* * *

By mid-morning the rangers had covered almost a third of their search grid with no sign of the missing teenager. Most of the terrain was rocky leaving no chance for prints. Matt sighed as he climbed back into the saddle after scouring the ground looking for anything that might tell him his brother's location. Suddenly a soft whine caught his attention. He twisted in direction of the sound and gasped as he saw Dingy limping toward him. He was off his horse in a moment, crouching beside the dog and running gentle hands over the animal's body. Dingy wearily licked at his hand.

"Where's Cody Dingy? Can you show me? Where's Cody, boy?"

The brown mutt whined again then turned and headed into the trees. Matt followed on foot with Shadow's reins over his shoulder. Suddenly the dog stopped near the edge of a cliff, whimpering and barking while looking back at the ranger. "Oh no," Matt whispered as he rushed forward. Peering over the edge, he saw nothing except the long drop to the rocks below. As he turned away, though, a splash of color caught his eye and he dropped to the ground, wiggling forward on his stomach to get a better look. What he saw had him grabbing for his radio.

"Flying Tiger to White Eagle. Prepare for a medical evac. Sixteen-year-old male, trauma from an approximate thirty-foot fall."

"This is White Eagle. I copy Flying Tiger. Please advise your coordinates."

"Approximately two miles north of Carter's ridge. There's no place to land here. You'll need to land in a clearing on the ridge itself. Flash and Black Magic, meet White Eagle at the landing zone and bring a Stokes basket and backboard."

"Roger. White Eagle taking off."

"Flying Tiger, this is Black Magic. Flash and I copy."

"10-4. Frostbite did you copy my location?"

"Affirmative Flying Tiger. I'm on my way." Robin kicked her horse into a gallop mentally preparing herself to care for the teenager that she considered to be an adopted younger brother.

Jesse closed his eyes as his son's call went out. He wheeled his horse and rushed to join Matt and the other rangers at Cody's location.


	3. Chapter 3

_Virginia_

"Have you decided on your topic for the seminar?" Reid asked Morgan as he handed him a cup of coffee. "I heard Hotch on the phone talking to someone with the planning committee."

"I was debating between victimology and something about my time with the bomb squad." Morgan looked up at his younger colleague. "Why were you eavesdropping?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I wasn't. I was coming out of Dad's office and Hotch's door was open." Reid answered with an innocent grin. "I'd go with the bomb squad aspect if it was me," he added.

Morgan smirked. "Guess I'm talking about the bomb squad then." He watched as Reid suddenly stiffened. "What's wrong?"

"Strauss just walked in. She's been hounding me ever since I "broke protocol" and yelled Dad in the bullpen. She's upset that everyone knows that Gideon is my father now."

"So? We have families working together all throughout the building. You don't let it affect your work," Morgan pointed out.

Reid sighed. "I know. It just doesn't seem to matter to her and I don't know how to appease her."

"Hate to break it to you, kid. You probably won't. You're just going to have to ride it out."

* * *

Matt slowly rappelled down the sheer face of the cliff, keeping his eyes on his brother's motionless form. The ledge Cody had landed on wasn't much longer than the teen was tall and barely wide enough for two people to stand shoulder to shoulder. As his feet touched down, he leaned forward placing two fingers on his brother's neck. Cody's skin was icy cold to his touch and his heart sank. Suddenly he gasped. There was a pulse. It was weak and slow but it was there. Cody was alive. A quick glance down his brother's body told him that Cody's right leg was obviously broken but since he was lying on his left side, Matt couldn't see that side of his body.

"Cody? Cody can you hear me?" Matt worked quickly securing a harness and tether to his brother as he called his name. Then he pulled off his heavy ranger jacket wrapping it around Cody as he rubbed the teenager's chest. He was afraid to move his brother until Robin could get there and assess how bad the teen's injuries were. "Come on Toad talk to me," he pleaded. Fighting the urge to hug his bother as tight as he could, he brushed Cody's hair back from his forehead. A low moan came from the injured boy.

"Toad?" Matt called softly not sure if he had actually heard anything. Just then a call from above distracted him and he looked up to see Robin looking down at him.

"I'm coming down by his feet!" she called as she tossed her rope bag over the edge. With her big first aid bag strapped to her back, she gracefully descended the rope to land nearby. "Is he conscious?"

"No. He's ice cold and his right leg is broken. Beyond that, I don't know. I didn't want to move him until you got here."

"Okay. Do you have him tethered?"

"Yeah that was the first thing I did."

"Good. Let me in here to get this collar on him." Matt leaned back slightly as his fellow ranger efficiently immobilized his brother's neck. She frowned at something and bent closer.

"What is it?"

"Unless I miss my guess he has a skull fracture. There's dried blood in his hair." She continued to feel along Cody's spine. "But I don't feel any broken vertebra."

"Thank goodness for that." Matt pulled the teen into his arms trying to use his own warmth to help his brother. Another moan sounded as the ranger moved.

"Cody?" Robin shifted so she could see his face. "Cody can you hear me? Open your eyes Cody." Both rangers held their breath to see if the boy would respond. Slowly Cody's eyes cracked open.

"Mm..aa..tt?"

"I'm right here Toad." Matt tightened his arms slightly so his brother could feel his hug.

"C..cold." Cody's voice was barely above a whisper and filled with pain.

"I know. We're trying to get you warm."

"Hurts."

"Cody what hurts?" Robin jumped in.

"Ev..where."

"Ok is the pain worse at any point?"

Cody was silent so long that she was afraid he had slipped back into unconsciousness. Finally, he mumbled, "hips n my head."

"Alright look up at me if you can. How many fingers am I holding up?"

Cody tried to turn his head, squinting up at the paramedic. "Four," he slurred.

Robin saw the shadow pass over her commander's face and squeezed his arm. "It's ok. I was expecting that. He's got a head injury and double vision is a common symptom."

Matt nodded but noted that she didn't let go until he forced himself to relax.

"Cody I'm going to do some pressing on your back and legs. I need you to tell me if I make the pain any worse." Robin carefully pressed along his lower back, continuing the exam she had already started. She then moved to touch his pelvis.

"Ohh," Cody groaned.

"Which side hurts Cody?"

"Both." The boy started shaking. "Matt… don't…. leave me," he gasped.

"I'm not going anywhere Toad," Matt tried to reassure his brother. He looked up at another shout from above. "Stay there, Dad! There isn't room for all of us."

"I'm going to lead Avila and the others in!" Jesse called back. He wheeled his horse around heading for the landing site. As much as he wanted to be with his son, he knew Cody was in the best of hands and he would just be in the way.

Matt returned his attention to his brother. Cody's eyes were closed again and his breathing was shallow and fast. "Hang in there, Toad."

"Cody? Are you still with us?" Robin asked gently.

"Yeah," came the slow answer.

"Ok. I'm going to put a splint on your leg to hold it in place. I'm sorry for hurting you but it has to be done."

"Know," Cody mumbled.

The paramedic pulled a splint out of her bag and got ready to work. Then she looked up with a sly look at her companions. "Hey Cody? Why does Matt call you Toad?" She ignored the sudden glance Matt gave her as his head came up.

"Huh?" Cody half opened his eyes at the question.  
"Why does Matt call you Toad?" she repeated her query.

"Nick..name."

"I know that but where did it come from?" Robin began fastening the splint as she talked.

"Little…couldn't say Cody. Came…out…Toady. Matt thought…funny…to call…me Toad." Cody let his head fall back against his brother's chest. He hissed as the final straps were fastened on his leg.

"I'm done now Cody. You can relax." Robin reached up to grab the teen's hand. She froze as she registered his fingernails.

"Cody? Did you scrape your hands?"

"Dunno."

Robin narrowed her eyes, her thoughts whirling inside her brain. Carefully, she pulled a wooden pick and an envelope from the bag before she turned her attention to the broken and bleeding skin. She ran the pick along the teenager's fingernail knocking some dirt into the envelope. Matt looked at her questioningly and she shook her head in answer. She didn't know what it meant either. Just then the other rangers and Jesse arrived on scene.

"Matt?! We've got the basket. What do you need us to do?" Tim Hart called from the edge of the cliff.

"Send it down along with a backboard! Jim, you're the smallest. We're going to need your help!"

"Got it. Let me rope up."

Matt looked down at his brother. "We're almost out of here Toad."

"Matt?"

"Yeah Toad?"

"You…idiot."

Matt raised an eyebrow at his brother's mumbled words. "Why am I an idiot?"

"Not go…out with…. Robin. Beautiful."

An embarrassed flush crossed the big Ranger's cheeks as Robin's eyes opened wide and she pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. "I don't think so Cody."

"You …like….. her," Cody accused.

Matt was saved from answering by Cutler's arrival. "Where do you want me Matt?"

"I need you to support his waist while we get him on the backboard. I'll get his shoulders and torso while Robin stabilizes his feet and legs." Matt shifted his position, mildly surprised to realize that his left foot had gone numb. "Cody, we need to get you on the board and into the basket so we can get you off the mountain and into the chopper."

"Ok," Cody was whispering again and all three rangers knew he wouldn't be conscious for much longer.

Matt took a deep breath knowing that moving his brother meant causing him excruciating pain but also knowing that if they didn't move him, Cody would die from his injuries. "We'll be as gentle as we can be."

The teen nodded slightly, his eyes tightly closed. Carefully the trio maneuvered the backboard behind him before rolling him onto the hard surface. Cody let out a heart wrenching cry as his lower body was shifted. Matt placed a hand on his chest.

"Breathe through the pain Cody. We're almost done. Just hang in there for me."

Jim glanced sideways, hearing the catch in the commander's voice. Matt was as close to losing his composure as the younger man had ever seen him.

"Put your hands by your side for a moment," Robin instructed before strapping the boy to the board. Then they lifted the board into the basket and fastened the straps there as well. Matt released the tether as Cutler and Robin attached the stabilizing ropes to the basket for the trip to the top of the cliff.

"Alright guys. Take it up slowly!"

Jesse, Hart, Avila and Izzy slowly worked the ropes, keeping the litter as still as possible. Once Cody was safely at the top, the four men lifted the basket starting in a slow jog toward the waiting chopper. The other three rangers caught up to them just as they were loading the basket. Robin climbed in, sitting on a jump seat so she could monitor her patient.

"Matt? Don't…. leave…me," Cody's fear was evident in his plea.

Matt opened his mouth to defer to his father when Jesse shook his head.

"He wants you. You go with him. I'll meet you there."

"Dad, are you sure?"

"Take care of your brother. I'll get your mom and sister and meet you there." Jesse turned and ran to his horse preventing his older son from arguing with him. Matt climbed into the chopper, trusting his men to take care of both his and Robin's horses.


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: To my **guest Nichole**, thank you for reviewing. I guess I didn't make clear enough that this story is set in the AU of my "A Tangled Web" series also found on this site and under my profile. In that AU, Reid was adopted by Gideon as a young child after his father was murdered and his mother suffered a psychotic break. You don't have to have read those stories for this one to make sense however, I have referenced certain events from those stories so far and will continue to do so as the story goes on. I hope this answers your questions. _

_Beta read by Neurogirlgcs15 (and props to anyone who can figure out what that screen name refers to ;) )_

"What do we have?"

"Sixteen-year-old male. Approximately thirty-five-foot fall. Suspected skull fracture, broken pelvis and fractured right tibia. Intermittent loss of consciousness during the flight down."

Matt jogged beside the stretcher as Robin's medical jargon continued in the background. He didn't catch everything she was saying but he knew that Cody was in bad shape. He was startled out of his thoughts by his name being called.

"I'm sorry what did you say?"

"Does he have any medical problems or any allergies?" one of the nurses repeated her question.

"No. He's not allergic to anything as far as I know. My dad would know for sure but he's still on his way here."

"Are you related to him?" she quickly asked.

"Yeah, he's my brother."

"Ok so since he's technically a minor, you can come in the trauma bay with us. But you stay where I put you and do exactly what I tell you. Got it?"

"Yes ma'am."

Cody was barely aware of the rapid trip to the hospital. He tried to open his eyes but the lights passing overhead made the dizziness worse so he closed them again. "Matt?" he whispered.

"I'm right here Toad. We're at the hospital and a bunch of things are going to happen but I'm not far away."

"Ok," Cody eyes were glazed over again. He had been intermittently conscious ever since his rescue but he wasn't completely aware of what was happening. Matt bit the inside of his lip, trying to keep his emotions in check.

"What's his name?" A new voice with a tone of authority rang in the room. Matt looked up to see a man in a white coat bending over his brother.

"Cody," the Ranger responded

"Hey Cody. Can you talk to me? What's your full name and your birthday?" When the teen didn't answer, the doctor touched his shoulder. "Cody? Can you hear me?"

Cody's eyes fluttered open. "Yeah?"

"What's your name and your birthday?"

"Cody Hawkes. April 18, 1991"

The doctor glanced over at Matt who nodded in confirmation. "Ok son, can you tell me what happened? Where are you hurting?"

"Head. Hips and my leg."

"Ok. Squeeze my hands for me." The doctor did a quick assessment on the teen. He turned to the nurses and started issuing orders too fast for Matt to follow. The team bustled around them almost as if they were participants in a choreographed dance. Quickly, the staff stripped Cody of his clothes, placing him in a gown with warm blankets, blood drawn and another IV started. One of the nurses looked up at the teenager.

"Cody, you're going to feel me touch you down here."

Matt quickly drew his brother's gaze. "Watch me Toad. You're not going to like what she's getting ready to do."

Cody's brow wrinkled but then he jerked as the nurse placed the catheter. He groaned softly as he moved.

"Lay still Toad. She's almost done."

"We've got blood in the urine," the nurse called out suddenly.

"Where's my ultrasound?" The doctor demanded.

"It's right here."

Matt looked back over his shoulder as the ultrasound probe was placed on his brother's abdomen. He couldn't read what the black and grey images showed but he noticed the tightening of the doctor's face.

"Matt? My hand...won't…. won't move." Cody's voice had a trace of fear in it.

"It's ok Toad. Don't worry about that right now."

"Matt can I talk to you for a moment?" The doctor beckoned the Ranger away from the bedside.

"Matt? Don't leave me."

"I'll be right back Cody." The blonde followed the doctor into the hallway. "What's wrong?"

"He's got internal bleeding for sure. How bad it is and where it's coming from, I don't know. I'm also concerned that he has bleeding in his brain. When I asked him to squeeze, his left grip was weaker than his right and now he can't move that arm at all."

"What does all of this mean?"

"He needs surgery and he needs it now. I'm putting in a page to a trauma surgeon and a neurosurgeon."

Matt swallowed hard. "What do you need from me?"

"Consent forms. Obviously, we'd prefer a parent but since they aren't here and you're over eighteen, you can sign."

"Do whatever you need to do Doctor."

The man nodded gravely before reentering the room with the Ranger just behind him.

"Matt? Tell mom… and Lisa…I love…. I love them."

Matt turned his attention back to his brother. "What are you talking about? You're going to tell them yourself when they get here."

Cody weakly shook his head. "I'm dying," he gasped. "Tell Dad I'm sorry. I didn't fight them harder."

"Cody don't talk like that. You're going to be fine." Fear clawed at Matt's throat.  
"I love you," his brother slurred before his eyes rolled back in his head. Simultaneously the monitor started screaming as the staff jumped into motion.

"Cody!" Matt all but shouted as he was shoved aside.

"Move!" One of the nurses snapped as she rushed to take his place. Matt moved backwards in a daze until he felt the wall behind him. It took all of his composure to stay standing and not slide down into a heap on the floor. The room almost faded around him as the staff worked on his brother. He looked up as a clipboard was shoved in his face and he blinked realizing that Cody was being wheeled out of the room and into the hall.

"Consent forms. Doctor Bradley said he told you what was happening." The nurse answered his questioning look.

Matt didn't have the voice to answer so he just nodded before scribbling his name where the nurse pointed. "Please save him," he pleaded softly.  
"We'll do our best," she replied before heading out of the room behind Cody's stretcher.

Matt stood there for a few more minutes before almost blindly wandering into the hall. He saw Robin leaning against the wall from him and followed her beckoning wave. Inside the consultation room, he found his parents, Lisa and the rest of the Ranger team.

"They just rushed him into surgery. He's bleeding internally." He managed to say through the sudden dryness in his throat.

"Oh no," Jackie turned and buried her head into Jesse's shoulder. Lisa tucked herself into her side as Matt joined them. Jesse pulled his older son into the embrace as well. Around them, the rest of the rangers closed ranks hoping against hope that Cody would be alright.

* * *

"Hawkes family?" Two weary looking doctors in sweat stained scrubs entered the small room where the team had found refuge while waiting for news.

"Yes?" Jesse stood and faced the surgeons. Jackie clung to his arm and Lisa Looked up from where she was leaning against Matt's chest.

"Cody is alive. I can't explain how or why except his will to live simply won't give up." The taller of the two men held up his hand at the small storm of emotion his words produced. "However, his condition is very grave. The next forty-eight hours are crucial. If he makes it through that time frame, he may have a fighting chance."

"What do you mean 'may'?" Jackie asked. "You just said he was alive."

"Mrs. Hawkes, Cody sustained a fractured pelvis, a skull fracture that caused a subdural hematoma, a badly fractured right tibia that will require surgery at a later date, and he nearly bled to death on the operating table tonight. He's gotten ten units of blood and he's still on the ventilator because he can't breathe on his own. Right now, he doesn't have enough blood in his body to carry the oxygen he needs to keep him alive." The doctor's face turned kind. "I don't want you thinking there's no hope, but I also don't want you to be unprepared in case the worst should happen."

"What about the hypothermia?" Matt asked.

"Actually, as odd as it sounds, the hypothermia may have saved his life." The other doctor spoke for the first time. "I'm Dr. Lewis and I'm the neurosurgeon in charge of your son. This is Dr. Jensen. He's the trauma surgeon. The cold slowed both the bleeding in his brain and in the pelvis. It's the only reason he made it to the ER. Now we've stopped the bleeding both in the abdomen and the brain and we've removed the blood clot from the brain tissue but there's no way to know if there's any brain damage until he wakes up and right now he's too unstable for us to even attempt to reduce his sedation."

"In addition, the damage to the pelvic bones was severe enough that there's a good chance he'll never walk again." The first doctor drew everyone's attention back to him. "It's a miracle he wasn't paralyzed outright. We called in an orthopedic specialist to stabilize the bones while we had him on the table."

"What are my son's chances?" Jesse's voice was flat.

"I don't pick numbers Mr. Hawkes but they're minimal at best. Now the fact that he's young and healthy works in his favor but it's too early to tell," Dr. Jensen replied

"Where is he now?"

"He's headed to the ICU. When he's settled the nurses will let you, your wife and other family members in to visit. They'll call here when that time comes."

"Thank you, Doctors," Jesse said quietly. "We appreciate your candor."

The two men nodded and left the room. Jackie finally broke down sobbing against her estranged husband's shoulder. Lisa sank into a chair accepting the hug that Izzy offered.

Matt felt his hands shaking. The room seemed to close in around him until he felt as though he couldn't breathe. "I gotta get out of here. I need some air," his words were clipped. He almost ran from the room with his eyes on the floor.

"Matthew?" Jackie called to his back.

"Let him go Jackie," Jesse said quietly. "He'll be back in a few minutes."


	5. Chapter 5

_Beta read by: neurogirlgcs15_

Matt trembled as he hurried from the building. He blinked rapidly as he tried to hold back his tears. This couldn't be happening to his little brother. Not to Cody. Not when he was only sixteen years old and had his whole life in front of him.

"_It's not fair," he thought to himself. "It's just not fair."_

He doubled his fist wanting to punch the side of the hospital. He couldn't get the picture of Cody in the ER out of his head.

"It's not your fault." Robin's quiet voice came from behind him.

"I rode right past him. If Dingy hadn't shown up, I'd never have found him."

"But you did find him and you gave him a fighting chance."

"He stopped breathing in front of me. He was trying to tell me goodbye and I wasn't listening to him."

"Matt don't do this to yourself." The female ranger was concerned as she had never seen her boss this agitated.

"My little brother is fighting for his life and it's my fault!" Matt's hands clenched at his side, his face dark and tortured.

"Matt, it's not your fault. YOU found him. YOU called for the evac and YOU started getting him warm before we were even off the mountain. YOU'RE the reason Cody made it to the ICU in the first place."

The ranger commander's body wilted as he sagged back against the wall. "I can't lose him. I almost lost him when I went with mom when my parents split and now…." He couldn't even finish the sentence. Tears welled in his eyes but he refused to let them fall.

"Oh Matt," Robin had no answers for him. She wanted to hug him but wasn't sure he'd accept the gesture. She settled for laying a gentle hand on his arm. "If I know anything about your brother, it's that he's stubborn as the day is long and he will find a way to do what he believes is right. If anyone can pull through this, it's Cody."

A faint smile broke through the sadness on Matt's face. "You're right about that. Cody is definitely stubborn."

"Family trait," Robin deadpanned.

Matt's smile widened just a little and a half chuckle sounded. "Something like that."

The silence between them stretched for a few minutes before Robin broke the quiet. "You know, he's probably in a room by now." She turned to head back inside the hospital.

"Robin," Matt's voice stopped her and she swung back to face him. "About what Cody said up there."

"Matt, Cody doesn't always have a filter. Especially with a head injury." She kept her voice steady with an effort. She wasn't even sure how to express what she was feeling. She couldn't deny that she had been attracted to the tall blonde ever since the first time he had teasingly called her 'Miss Sweden' but she never dreamed that someone else would suspect the truth.

"I know," he whispered. His body wilted back against the wall and this time the tears did fall. Robin squeezed his hand tightly in hers, not surprised to feel him trembling. Suddenly Lisa's voice penetrated the moment.

"Matt? Are you out here?"

Matt cleared his throat fighting for calm before answering. "Yeah, Lisa. Over here."

"Jesse sent me to get you. Cody's in a room now." The girl shifted from foot to foot and Matt smiled sadly at her, belatedly realizing that he had been so focused on Cody, that he had unintentionally pushed her to the sidelines.

"Come here sweetie," he opened his arms enveloping her in a hug. He felt her shudder against his chest so he kissed the top of her head. "I'm sorry honey."

Lisa tilted her head back to look up at him. "What for?"

"For not being as attentive to you as I should have been."

The girl shook her head. "You haven't been ignoring me. You were focused on Cody and Jackie needed Jesse. It's not like I'm really your sister anyway."

Matt tightened his hug. "Don't you say that. We may not be blood but you are as much my sister as Cody is my brother." He pressed another kiss to her hair. "I know this is has to be especially hard for you."

Lisa sighed as she leaned into the embrace. "I just don't want to lose another brother. Do you think Cody is going to die?"

"I don't know," Matt answered honestly. "I know he beat some pretty big odds to even make it here so if anyone can pull through, it will be Cody."

* * *

Robin sighed as she opened the door to the station and ushered Lisa inside.

"I don't know who's all here. Do you want to crash in Matt's room or down here on the couch?"

"Um…I don't know?" Lisa dropped her duffel bag on the floor and sank down on the couch. "I can't even think right now. I really wish I could have stayed at the hospital."

"I know you do. But like Jesse said, you don't need to be trying to sleep in a chair." Robin smiled at the girl as she moved past her into the kitchen. "Would you like some hot chocolate?"

"Sure." Lisa followed the ranger into the room. "The only reason Jesse didn't win the argument to send Matt and Jackie home is because they're both adults and he can't tell them what to do." She laid her head down on her folded arms. "Robin? Do you know where Dingy is?" she asked sleepily.

"He's upstairs somewhere. Izzy brought him down on his horse."

"Good. I kinda forgot about him when Matt said Cody was missing." The girl sat up to take the mug Robin handed her. "You know something? Today's the first time I've ever seen Matt cry. That scares me more than anything else. He never cries."

"I know sweetie but we have to believe that Cody's going to be okay." Robin came around the counter and gave the girl a hug. Lisa returned it then yawn so hard her jaw popped.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

"It's ok. Go on upstairs and get some sleep. I'll wake you if something happens."

"Thanks Robin."

Robin watched the teen trudge upstairs before rinsing out both mugs and putting them in the sink. She paused staring down at the water as it drained. She was tired but her mind was buzzing with the events of the day. How had Cody fallen and why was his right leg broken when he landed on his left side? And what did the samples she had taken from his fingernails mean? She shook her head, then on a whim went into Matt's office and switched on his computer. She drummed her fingers as she waited for the machine to boot up.

"Can't sleep?"

Robin jumped as Cutler's voice penetrated her thoughts. She looked up to see him framed in the doorway leaning against the jam. His ratty t-shirt and faded sweats told her he had been in bed but obviously like her was still awake.

"Haven't tried. There are just too many unanswered questions. You can't sleep either?"

"Can't get the cry Cody made when we moved him out of my head. It about tore me up. I can't imagine what Matt's feeling right now." Jim dropped into the chair next to the desk. "What kind of unanswered questions are you talking about?"

Robin frowned slightly weighing the perceived ludicrousness of the situation against the desire for a second opinion. "I'm not convinced that Cody's fall was an accident. His injuries don't entirely match how we found him. He's way too surefooted in the mountains to have just slipped and I think I found skin under his fingernails. I'll have to test it to be sure." To his credit Cutler didn't really react other than a few quick blinks. "You don't seem surprised," she remarked.

"I was sort of wondering the same thing. I hadn't said anything because I'm pretty sure it hasn't occurred to Matt and I don't want to make things worse if I'm wrong. But if it was an accident then why does Dingy have a bullet graze in his side?"

Robin started in surprise. "Dingy has what?"

Jim sighed rubbing his face with his hand. "I noticed that Dingy had blood on his side when Izzy brought him down so I started washing it off and I realized that the dog had a big cut on his side. I ran him over to Doc Stephen's place and he wanted to know how Dingy got shot."

"What did you tell him?"

"That we thought it might have been poachers." The dark-haired ranger straightened up. "So where does this leave us? How do we go about proving or disproving our theory?"

"I'm going to start by sending these samples to the FBI's Sacramento field office and getting them analyzed. If it's skin and if it's male, I want to know whose it is."

"How are you going to do that without Matt's authorization? He has to sign off on all of the analyzing requests."

The blonde shrugged. "I'm going to ask Mike McBride to authorize it."

Jim regarded the woman for a moment. "You know Matt's going to be furious when he finds out we suspect someone tried to kill Cody and didn't tell him right away."

"I'd rather risk his anger and be right than be wrong and add to his worries unnecessarily."

"How long will it take?"

"Up to seventy-two hours for reliable results." Robin leaned back and stretched. "But it still leaves us without a motive or a suspect. I mean it's Cody. Sure, he's annoying sometimes but he's sixteen. He's _supposed_ to be annoying sometimes. He lives at the top of a mountain for heaven's sake."

"I wonder if he saw something he shouldn't have or someone _thought_ he saw something he shouldn't have."

"Maybe. But in that case, why didn't he just ride Cooper for help?" Robin blew out a breath. "I'm too tired to think right now. I'm going to try and get a few hours of sleep."

"Good night." Jim sat there in the office for a few minutes after his colleague had gone upstairs just reflecting on the day. He shuddered as he recalled again the cry of pain Cody had made as they were immobilizing him. Making the sign of the cross, he prayed for Cody and his family.

* * *

"Morgan? The car is ready for us." Hotch called to his colleague from the catwalk around the bullpen. The dark-skinned agent acknowledged him with a wave of his hand as he finished his conversation on the phone.

"Sorry. That was Greg Avila. He's the guy I played ball with in college. He's joined the FBI and is assigned to Sacramento so he'll be at the seminar." Morgan pressed the down button for the elevator. "He asked if I'd have time to run up to Tahoe with him."

"How far is Tahoe from Sacramento?" Hotch asked as they entered the elevator.

"It's about a two-hour drive. And it's through some beautiful scenery. Greg and his younger brother Frank both played ball with me before I got hurt. Last I knew Frank was with the Lake Tahoe Sheriff's office as a chopper pilot." Morgan shook his head. "Frank is a heck of a pilot. They're lucky to have him."

* * *

Hart leaned against the food truck outside Stoney's store as he glanced at the menu. He studied the chalk writing for several minutes without really seeing it as he thought about the events of the last couple days.

"Why are you staring at the menu like that? You've got the thing memorized by now." Cutler nudged his friend's shoulder. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just thinking about Cody. Kid doesn't even look like himself. Face all swollen, tubes everywhere. Almost makes me sick to my stomach to see him like that."

"Yeah I know what you mean." Jim placed his order before pulling a piece of paper from his pocket and reading off three more choices. "Have you seen Lisa?"

"Yeah, she ran into Stoney's right quick. Said she needed to pick up something." Tim ordered his own food. "Are we taking the food back to Matt at the hospital or the station?"

"At the station. He had just come in as I was leaving to come here. He wanted a shower and some real coffee."

"Just as long as Izzy didn't make it." The two rangers chuckled in unison as it was a well-known fact that Izzy couldn't make coffee to save his life.

"Hey guys," Lisa ran up to them. "Did you order already?" She was holding a small bag from Stoney's.

"Yep but you're good. We just got through." Jim smiled at the girl.

"Okay," Lisa pushed her hair out of her eyes and gave her order at the window. Then she turned and joined the two men at one of the picnic benches scattered around the truck. She stared at the table drawing aimless circles on the wood with her finger.

"How are you holding up?" Tim asked her after a few minutes of silence.

Lisa shrugged. "I don't know. It's all surreal and I keep hoping that I'm going to wake up and it's all been a dream or something."

Cutler started to answer her but stopped as their order number was called. He stood up to retrieve the food just as Hart's phone rang.

"Tim Hart." He listened for several minutes before scribbling something on a napkin. "Got it. Cutler and I will head that way. Do you want us to bring Lisa to you or will you come get her?" The ranger nodded his head. "Ok. Will do. I'll tell her to wait here and you'll come pick her up. Bye Matt." He hung up then called to his partner. "Jimmy, we caught a call. Matt wants us heading up to Suicide Rock!"

"What about me?" Lisa asked.

"He wants you to stay here and he'll be coming to get you in about fifteen minutes." Tim grabbed his carton of food before he and Cutler headed to the truck. Lisa watched them go before sighing and putting her head down on her arms. She swallowed hard trying to hold back the tears.

"Are you alright?" a voice suddenly asked her.

Lisa lifted her head and blinked up at a young woman standing nearby. "Yeah, it's just been a rough couple of days and I haven't had much sleep."

"Would you like to talk about it? I'm a good listener." Christine sat down across the table from her.

The teen bit her lip. She was normally shy but the lady did have a kind face and her offer seemed sincere. "My brother was in a climbing accident and he's in intensive care at the hospital. We're not sure if he's going to make it or not."

"I'm so sorry. I have a brother too so I understand." She smiled at the girl. "I saw the gentlemen with you left. Do you need a ride to the hospital?"

"No, thank you though. The guys are rangers and they had to leave on a call. I've got someone coming for me."

"You seem to be pretty close friends with them."

Lisa smiled then turned as her name was called. "That's because my other brother leads them." She hugged Matt as he walked up to them.

"You ready?"

"Yeah. Our food is right there. Jim labeled everything for us."

Matt picked up the four containers. "How long ago did he and Hart leave?"

"Mm maybe twenty minutes? It wasn't long." She turned back to the woman she had been chatting with. "It was nice talking to you."

"You too. I hope your brother get better soon." Christine watched as the duo climbed into Matt's truck. She kept her face calm but inside she was seething. Once the truck was out of sight, she turned and climbed into her own vehicle. A short drive later she pulled into the rented cabin she and Allen were using. Allen looked up as she appeared then watched her as she rummaged through their files. Suddenly she swore under her breath as she stared at a photo she had found.

"Allen, we've got a big problem. Maybe two."

"What's wrong?" Allen asked suspiciously. In his mind, Christine tended to be a bit too emotionally attached to their mission and would regard minor inconveniences as major problems.

"That Hawkes kid survived. He's in the ICU at the hospital."

"What?! There's no way. We dropped him over a hundred-foot cliff!" Allen narrowed his eyes at his sister. "Are you sure it's not someone else with a similar name?"

"I'm sure. Remember that girl we saw at Jesse Hawkes' cabin that I said looked familiar?"

"You mean the girl that was there when we were surveying the area? Yeah I remember her."

"I talked to her today. Played it off like I was just concerned about her. She referred to Matt and Cody as her brothers." Christine held up the photo. "Now just what are the chances of two girls named Lisa who are about the same age, both with blonde hair and are friends with Jesse Hawkes."

Allen took the picture from his sister. "You think the girl you saw today is Lisa McMasters? Christine, you haven't seen her in four years. You can't be sure it's the same person."

Christine shook her head. "Allen, I'm positive it was her. Which means she didn't die in the boating accident like she should have." She scowled at her brother. "You don't seem to care."

He regarded her calmly. "I don't. We got her father and that's what matters."

"We're doing this because our father was left to die! Have you forgotten the story that Grandmother always told us of how that unit abandoned him? That girl should have died too!"

"Of course, I haven't forgotten. Grandmother and Grandfather wouldn't let us forget. The Marines and Jesse Hawkes considered Dad expendable so they wouldn't risk their own lives to save him when they should have. But the goal is to punish the six men responsible for our father's death. So, even though we didn't get the kid, we did get the dad and that's all I care about. Just forget about the girl and let's focus on the more pressing problem of making sure Cody Hawkes doesn't leave that hospital alive."

Christine frowned but let the subject drop. Allen might be alright with the girl surviving but _she_ wasn't. One way or another she was going to finish the job.


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's note: Thanks to anyone who is still reading this. Beta read by: neurogirlgcs15_

* * *

Derek Morgan! Long time no see. How the heck are you?"

Morgan turned to see his college buddy Greg Avila grinning at him. "Hey man!" He laughed as the shorter man pulled him into a hug. "How are you liking the FBI?"

"I love it. Frank left his piloting job with the police to join the High Mountain Rangers about three years before I transferred and I decided I wanted a change of scenery. Besides, the Sheriff's department just wasn't the same without my brother around to harass."

"You mean you didn't have anybody who would put up with your nonsense," Morgan quipped.

Greg laughed. "You know it." He slapped Morgan on the back. "Do you still want to come up to Tahoe? I'm heading that way in about twenty minutes. Just have to pick up some sample results before I take off."

Morgan nodded. "Yeah our flight takes off at noon tomorrow so I have some free time as long as the boss approves." He moved to Hotch's side. "Hotch, I'm heading up to Tahoe if it's still okay. You interested in joining us?"

Hotch shook his head. "I'm going to look over a case and see if I can create a profile for a cold case. You go on ahead."

"Alright I'll see you later tonight."

An hour later the two men were well on their way to Lake Tahoe with Greg at the wheel.

"Can you explain to me what exactly Frank is doing now? What in the world is a High Mountain ranger?"

Greg grinned at Morgan's question. "The High Mountain Rangers are an elite group of federal officers who are also trained in mountain search and rescue. The group was started about twenty-five years ago by a man named Jesse Hawkes. Hawkes is a former marine and a US Marshal who saw the need for a group of law enforcement officers who could navigate the terrain of the Sierra Nevada mountains. They have rope training, climbing experience and they've all trained at one of the federal training centers."

Morgan whistled softly. "That's some pretty intense training. How many are on the team?"

"Six. There's been talk of expanding the teams but by keeping the numbers small, the team is incredibly tight knit. They've started three more teams in Nevada and Utah. Last I heard, they were talking about implementing the program in Idaho and Colorado."

"What if they have to search a large area? What happens then?"

"Then they call in reinforcements from the Sheriff's department or the fire department. There are some volunteers that aren't officially part of the team that help out on search and rescue missions. Obviously, the volunteers don't partake in law enforcement activities. Just missing hikers, skiers, and so forth."

"Wow." Morgan was impressed. "When you first mentioned them, I thought that it was some fancy name for a park ranger or the forestry service."

Greg chuckled. "Not hardly. Three quarters of applicants fail before they even finish the recruiting process. I know I wouldn't be able to cut it. The FBI academy doesn't have anything on the training these guys complete."

"How did they get started? You mentioned a guy named Hawkes?"

"Yeah. Jesse Hawkes. He's kind of a local legend. Knows those mountains like the back of his hand. It all started when he had to chase a couple of escaped prisoners into the Sierra Nevada mountains. Took him three or four months to find them simply because of the rugged terrain."

"Is he still apart of the group?"

"Only as a civilian. His older son Matt leads the team now but Jesse often helps out as a consultant and sometimes Matt recruits him to help them on a difficult track. Matt's got a good group of guys and girl. Couple years ago, the first female ranger joined them. She's a paramedic as well as a ranger. Rangers took a lot of flak for hiring a woman but she's proved her mettle more than once."

Morgan shrugged. "You don't have to convince me. Some of the toughest people I know are women. The girlfriend of one of my colleagues took down a serial killer singlehandedly about four months ago."

Greg glanced over at his passenger. "Now that's a story I'd like to hear sometime. But for now, here we are."

He slowed down and pulled into the Ranger's parking lot. Both men looked up at the sound of rotor blades approaching as Frank came into view, landing on the helipad adjacent to the building. He grinned at them from the pilot's seat then efficiently shut down the helicopter.

"Derek Morgan, what are you doing here in Tahoe?"

"Well if somebody would listen to his phone messages, he'd know that Derek is here after teaching a seminar in Sacramento for the last two days." Greg retorted playfully punching his younger brother on the arm.

"Sorry, I've been busy. We're a man down at the moment so it's kind of crazy." Frank's face took on a worried look.

"What happened? Is everyone ok?" Greg asked.

"Matt's kid brother went over a cliff. He's in ICU and not expected to live."

"Oh my G**!" Greg stared at his brother. "What in the world happened?"

"We don't know. Right now, it looks like some sort of accident. Of course, we won't know for sure until Cody pulls through. If he pulls through." Frank held the station door for the other men. "Hey guys, look who the cat dragged in!"

"Hey Greg! It's been awhile." Hart said shaking the agent's hand. "What brings you up here?"

"Well I had some test results to deliver to Robin so I decided to use it as an excuse to show Derek where I grew up." Greg indicated Morgan. "Guys, this is Derek Morgan. He's with the FBI out of DC. Derek these are the High Mountain Rangers. Tim Hart, Jim Cutler, Izzy Flowers and of course Frank who you already know. And somewhere around here is Robin Kelly."

"She's in Matt's office. I'll get her." Cutler disappeared into a room across the station. A moment later he returned with Robin behind him. Greg handed her the sealed envelope.

"Thanks Greg." She took the envelope and quickly pulled out the papers inside. A moment later her eyes closed briefly before she swore viciously in her native Swedish. The entire room went completely silent as everyone present stared at her. Cutler was the first to break the silence.

"Robin what's wrong? What did the skin samples show?"

The female ranger lifted tortured eyes to her teammate. "It's the evidence that proves we were right. Cody's fall wasn't an accident. Someone was trying to kill him."

"But why? Who would want to kill Cody?" Hart asked incredulously.

"Jim and I suspected that there was more to the story from the beginning. We compared notes that first night after I brought Lisa back from the hospital and several things stood out to us. One, Cody's injuries didn't match the fall. I was able to confirm this with Dr. Jensen. Second, Cody is as sure footed as a mountain goat up there. There has to be a reason that he fell. Third, Dingy had a bullet graze on his side and fourth, there was skin under Cody's fingernails that doesn't match Matt or Jesse."

"This is crazy. Are you sure about those results?" Frank took the papers from Robin's hand. "What if the lab is wrong?"

"Frank, I had the FBI office in Sacramento run them. I also asked them to run the DNA profile against the one that Matt has on file. I'm telling you that the profiles don't match."

"Just because the profiles don't match doesn't meant that someone was trying to kill Cody. There's no motive here," Hart countered.

"Just because we don't know what the motive is doesn't mean that there isn't one," Cutler pointed out.

"Guys, no one wants to kill Cody," Izzy added. "It just doesn't make any sense."

"It doesn't have to make sense to us. It only has to make sense to the killer." Morgan pushed off the wall he had been leaning against while the conversation developed. He took a deep breath choosing his words carefully. "Look, I know I'm a stranger here but my job is chasing serial killers. Now I'm not saying that this is the work of a serial killer but I agree with Robin that there are some anomalies that need to be looked into."

Robin shot him a grateful look. "Guys we need to get back up there and look for evidence to prove our theories."

"What kind of evidence are you expecting to find? I was flying over that area this afternoon and there wasn't anything there. It had to have been an accident." Frank was clearly still unconvinced.

"I don't know. Tracks, signs of a struggle, drag marks, anything!" She threw up her hands. "Do I really have to tell you how to do your job?"

"No, you don't have to tell me how to do my job because I've been doing this longer than you have. But we need more than just female intuition or emotions to go on."

Morgan interrupted before Robin could respond with an angry retort. "Everyone, just calm down for a moment." He held up his hand as the woman took a deep breath. "I think you're on to something and I'm going to make a phone call to see if I can get my team to help you out." He glanced over at Greg. "You said Matt was in charge of the team. This is his brother?"

Greg nodded in the affirmative. "Yes, Matt is Cody's older brother."

"Does Matt know anything about your suspicions?"

"No, he doesn't have any idea that we suspect any this." Jim said quietly. "He's been practically living at the hospital unless he wanted to shower and get some clean clothes."

Morgan nodded. "Understandable. However, we need to get him on board and briefed as soon as possible. We've already lost a significant amount of time that could be crucial to figuring out what happened."

"I'll call him and tell him to come back here to the station. I don't want to worry Jackie or Lisa right now." Hart went into Matt's office and closed the door behind him. An uneasy silence filled the room as the rangers milled around. Morgan turned to Greg.

"I'm going to call Hotch. I have a feeling he'll agree to bring the team in. Should I route them here or to Sacramento?"

"You can bring them here. It will be easier than trying to arrange transport from Sacramento and you guys can get started faster." Greg ran a hand over his face before glancing around the room. He didn't see Robin at the moment but still lowered his voice, pitching it for Morgan's hearing only. "Do you really think something is going on or were you just humoring her?"

"I wouldn't be planning to call my boss if I was humoring her." Morgan fell silent as Hart returned.

"Matt will be here in about twenty minutes or so. Unless I miss my guess, Jesse will be coming with him."

"Okay you guys explain while I call Hotch. I'll let you know what he says." Morgan stepped outside to make the call in private then paused as he saw Robin leaning against the wall. He studied her body language for a moment, noting how she stood with her back to the wall and her arms crossed over her chest. Her gaze remained out across the parking lot but Morgan was certain she knew he was watching her. Her stance was a mixture of defiance and determination. "I wondered where you disappeared to so quickly," he said after a few minutes of silence.

"I needed a minute. I suspected this but I never thought I'd be right and I'm feeling a little bit overwhelmed." A faint sheepish smile tugged at her mouth. "And I'm psyching myself up to face Matt's temper. I sort of did an end run around him because I went through our local sheriff to get the authorization for the samples. He's going to be really mad at me."

"Why didn't you tell him?" Morgan's curiosity was piqued by Robin's admission.

"Because Cody is his world. I wanted to be sure I was right before I added to his worries. If I was wrong then no harm no foul and he'd never know what I suspected," she shrugged. "Was it a risk? Absolutely. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat." She unconsciously pulled on her ponytail, suddenly seeming uncertain. "I just hope we haven't waited too long. There's so many unanswered questions and I'm a little afraid of the answers." She sighed and looked over at him. "I've never seen Matt look like he did when we found Cody. I have no idea how he kept it together enough to not only direct the rescue but keep Cody calm enough that he didn't fight us doing what we needed to do. I don't think that Cody even realized how badly he was hurt."

"Cody was conscious during his rescue?" Morgan asked.

Robin nodded. "Yes intermittently. But he sustained a head injury so his memory was affected. I asked him if he scraped his hands when he fell and he couldn't tell me."

"Did he have defensive wounds on his hands?"

"I'm not sure that you'd call them defensive wounds per se but his fingernails were torn and his hands were bleeding. That was what made me collect those samples that I sent off to the lab in the first place. What I was seeing up there didn't match the idea of a simple fall. Especially since I've watched Cody climb. He's incredibly sure footed up there because he's spent his entire life in those mountains. He knows the terrain and how to navigate it."

Morgan opened his mouth to answer but was interrupted by a truck pulling into the station parking lot. From the sudden breath Robin took he surmised that the two men were the ones they were waiting for. He nodded encouragingly to the female ranger then pulled out his phone to make the call to Hotch and hopefully mobilize the rest of the BAU team.

* * *

Matt stared at his fellow rangers in shock. "What do you mean Cody's fall wasn't an accident?" He clenched his hands at his side, sensing his father stiffening in turn.

"What kind of evidence do you have?" Jesse's voice was flat yet eerily calm. Hart, Cutler, Frank, and Izzy all turned as one and looked at Robin who had followed Matt and Jesse inside. She blinked then squared her shoulders as her head came up.

"Some of the evidence is circumstantial but it adds up to someone deliberately pushing or throwing him over the cliff. First, Cody's injuries don't entirely match his fall. I talked to the trauma surgeon and according to him, it's unlikely that Cody broke his right leg in the fall itself since he landed on his left side. He thinks that the point of impact was his pelvis. Second, Cody knows that area. There is no way he just took a misstep. In addition, he told Lisa that he was planning to be about seven miles from where he was found. He wouldn't get the area wrong. Third, Dingy had a bullet graze in his side. Dr. Stephens examined him and that was his conclusion. Fourth, Cody had skin cells under his fingernails and the DNA profile doesn't match either one of you. The FBI lab sent the results over earlier this afternoon."

"So that's what brought you here," Matt remarked glancing over at Greg who had stayed on the outskirts of the discussion.

"Yeah, I brought up the results as well as the remaining tissue samples." Greg took a deep breath. "For what it's worth, I think she's right. I mean I don't really know your brother but after listening to what Robin has pointed out I'd be taking a second look at the situation myself."

Matt narrowed his eyes in thought before he turned to his father. "Will you help us? You're better at tracking Cody than I am."

Jesse nodded. "Absolutely. I want to know who this b***** is that's trying to hurt my family."

"Ok, Avila take the chopper and see what you can find from the air. Izzy call Sheriff McBride and get a couple deputies to watch Cody's room. No one that isn't vetted by the hospital or that we know personally goes in there. Cutler map out a grid search working backwards from where we found Cody to Carter's ridge." Matt visibly shifted from concerned older brother to competent commander. "Hart I want you in the air with Frank and Robin I need to talk to you for a minute." He turned and walked into his office. Robin sighed softly before following. She closed the door behind her and waited stiffly for the explosion she knew was coming.

"Why the h** * didn't you tell me what was going on? And how on earth did you get those samples analyzed without my authorization?" Matt kept his voice down with considerable effort.

"I asked Mike McBride to authorize them. And I did it for the same reason I didn't tell you my suspicions. I wanted to have all the facts before I came to you with a half-baked theory. If I was wrong, you would have had been worried unnecessarily."

"And if the person that did this somehow found out that Cody survived, we would have been unprepared if they tried again!"

"I know it was a risk but I also knew that you and Jesse weren't leaving his side and I knew you two would be able take of anything if it were to come to that."

Matt leaned over his desk with his palms pressed flat against the wood as he glared at his fellow ranger. Robin met his angry gaze unflinchingly. "You were willing to play games with my brother's life?"

"No. I was trusting two men who have law enforcement experience to be able to do their jobs."

He shook his head. "If I didn't need every set of eyes that I can get I'd put you on desk duty right this second. When this is over…." He let his sentence trail off too angry to even think of an appropriate punishment.

"When this is over, I will accept any reprimand that you think is applicable." Robin relaxed her rigid stance. "I'm sorry to make you angry but I needed to be sure."

Matt closed his eyes trying to reign in his temper. "Get out of here and let me calm down. Right now, I can't even think straight I'm so angry with you."

Robin nodded before turning on her heel and leaving the room. She caught Jesse's watchful gaze from across the room and faintly smiled. He beckoned her over to his side.

"You did what you thought was right." The former ranger said quietly. "Don't let his reaction get to you."

"I know why he's upset with me. The thing is I wouldn't change anything. If I had been wrong and this was all an accident, I would have made things worse for you guys."

Jesse regarded her with an intense look that almost made her squirm. "On one hand I see your point and on the other, that's not really your place to decide. But what's done is done and once Matt calms down he'll realize that too." He squeezed her shoulder. "You're a good ranger. Don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise."

"Thanks Jesse," she said gratefully. Jesse's words took some of the sting out of Matt's furious reaction. She looked around the room trying to find Morgan. "Have you seen Morgan?" she asked suddenly.

"Is that the man who was on the porch with you when we pulled in? Last I saw he was still outside." Jesse cocked his head at her. "Who is he anyway?"

"He's an FBI agent who went to college with Frank and his brother. Apparently, he's on a team that specializes in chasing serial killers so he volunteered to help us out since we have so little evidence to go on."

"Serial killer? Surely, you're not going that route, are you?" Jesse narrowed his eyes at her.  
Robin shook her head. "No. That just happens to be Morgan's specialty."

"We also study victimology and patterns of behavior. Since we have no suspects in your son's case, my team will do what we can to try and figure out who could have wanted to hurt him." Morgan spoke from behind them. "Hotch is heading here from Sacramento and the others will be here from DC in a few hours."

"You can get a flight this late in the day?" Robin asked surprised.

"Perks of the BAU having its own jet," Morgan answered. "We don't have to wait on commercial airlines."

"Derek Morgan this is Jesse Hawkes. He's Cody's father and the founder of the rangers."

"Which makes you Matt's dad as well. It's nice to meet you sir." Morgan held out his hand which Jesse took.

"Thank you for offering to help us out." Jesse said quietly. "It's much appreciated."

Morgan started to answered but was interrupted by Matt reappearing from his office.

"Cutler! Is the grid search done?"

"Just finished mapping it out," Jim answered. "We're ready to go on your word."

"Izzy did you get McBride?"

"Yes, he's setting up a rotating shift of deputies to make sure that Cody, Lisa and your mom are never alone."

"Great. Frank is the chopper ready to go?"

"All set Matt."

"Alright we're wasting daylight. Let's go.

Greg and Morgan watched as the rangers hurried to their assigned tasks. "You weren't kidding when you said they were efficient," Morgan remarked. "I wouldn't want to be an unsub with them on my trail."

"Nor would I. What do you say we head over to the sheriff's office and see what we can dig up about anything weird happening in the area while we wait for your team to arrive?"

"Sounds good to me and you can tell me what you know about Matt, Cody and their dad on the way."


	7. Chapter 7

Morgan smiled to himself as headlights swept across the window of the Ranger's station. He opened the door just as Hotch climbed out of the sedan and Reid, JJ, Prentiss, and Gideon exited the SUV behind him.

"Hey Morgan. What's going on?" Emily asked as she came up the steps. "Hotch said you'd explain more once we were here."

"Come on inside and meet everyone. Then I'll explain." Morgan led the way into the station where despite the late hour, all of the rangers plus Jesse and Greg were gathered. He quickly introduced the two groups then gave a brief overview of what they knew so far.

"So, you think someone was trying to kill your son?" Gideon looked to Jesse.

"That's Robin's theory yes. Unfortunately, we didn't find much evidence in the mountains today since we didn't have a lot of daylight left by the time that we got up there. The plan is for Matt, myself and a couple of the others to return tomorrow at first light and begin searching again."

"I want a couple of my agents to come with you," Hotch said firmly.

"That's fine provided they can ride a horse," Jesse answered.

"Gideon, Prentiss, you'll go with the rangers. JJ and Morgan, I want you to talk to Cody's mom and his sister. Find out everything you can about him."

"My brother didn't do anything wrong," Matt said fiercely.

"We're not saying he did. Part of what we do is profile the victim to see if there's any anomalies or patterns. Since we can't talk to Cody himself yet, we'll use what we can get from family members to build our profile." Hotch patiently explained. "Reid, you and I will start with the local LEOs."

"I'll take you over to Mike McBride's office in the morning." Greg offered. "He used to be my boss so I know where everything is."

Hotch nodded. "Ok, everyone get some sleep. We have a lot to do tomorrow."

* * *

Matt sighed as he watched the sky begin to lighten as dawn dispelled the grey of the early morning. Birds began singing in the crisp cool air although he barely noticed the temp. He was exhausted both physically and emotionally from the past week and the three hours of sleep he had managed to get certainly wasn't helping. The doctors were encouraged that Cody was improving but he still wasn't out of the woods yet.

"You and your brother must be pretty close."

The ranger commander jumped as Hotch spoke from behind him. That alone told him he was more tired than he was willing to admit. "As close as we can be when I'm ten years older and he lives fifty-four miles away at the top of a mountain."

"Tell me about your relationship."

Matt chuckled wryly. "He's my kid brother. I annoy him by calling him Toad and he annoys me by being way more self-sufficient than he should be at sixteen. But if there's trouble we both have each other's back." He looked down at his hands. "And I should have known that something was wrong. I should have realized that Cody couldn't have just fallen. There's no leaves or loose stone only bare rock in that area. But I was distracted by how badly he was hurt."

Hotch looked at the young man before him sizing him up. "Can you be objective right now or are you too close to the situation?"

Matt snorted. "You don't have the authority to tell me to stand down. Besides I'm the best tracker on the ranger team. The only one better is my dad." He straightened up to his full height bringing him eye to eye with the unit chief. "And yes, I can be objective. I have to be because not only are the rangers depending on me but so is my brother." He turned and marched stiffly back into the station. Hotch watched him go simultaneously admiring his resolve and yet concerned about his emotional state.

"He'll do his job. You don't have to threaten him."

Hotch turned to see Jesse leaning against the wall behind him. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to hear you baiting my son."

"And yet you didn't try to stop me."

"Matt can take care of himself. He wouldn't be in command of the team if he couldn't do the job. He's been on emotionally difficult tracks before and handled it well. He'll do what needs to be done."

"Could Matt be capable of hurting Cody?"

Jesse made a derisive noise. "I know you have to ask that question but if you really believe it then feel free to take your agents and leave. Matt loves his brother and would gladly switch places with him right now." He pushed off the wall and made to follow his son inside the building. "We're heading out in a few minutes. I hope your two agents are ready."

* * *

Morgan and JJ followed Robin up the elevator and into the ICU. The Ranger flashed her badge to the deputy standing guard at the door and ushered the FBI agents into the room.

"Hey Jackie. How's he doing?"

"He's not any worse but they're talking about having to go in and fix his leg before he's off the ventilator. They're worried about his blood counts."

Robin gave the woman a hug. "Did Jesse tell you what's going on?"

"Yeah, you really think someone did this to him?" Jackie asked.

Robin nodded. "These are agents Jareau and Morgan from the FBI. They're helping us investigate the accident and they want to talk to you guys."

"What can we tell you? We weren't on the mountain when Cody fell." Lisa was obviously curious but a little nervous with the agents.

"No but you can tell us about him. How he thinks, how he reacts, things like that." JJ answered with a gentle smile. "Is it ok if we go down to the cafeteria and talk?"

Lisa bit her lip, glanced over at Jackie and then nodded. "Just you and me or is he coming too?"

"That's up to you," JJ answered. "Would you be more comfortable if Morgan stayed here with your mom?"

"Yeah kinda. Is that okay?" At JJ's nod Lisa slipped from the room leaving the agent to follow her. Robin took the chair next to Jackie to wait until they returned.

* * *

JJ steeped her tea and watched the teenager absentmindedly play with her straw. "Tell me what you're thinking about right now."

Lisa sighed softly. "It's like a bad dream that I can't wake up from. Cody's always been there for me and now a bunch of people are saying he's probably going to die. Either that or he'll be paralyzed and I can't do anything to help."

"Is Cody reckless?".

The girl shrugged. "That depends on who you ask. Matt would probably say yes. But it's just because he doesn't understand."

"Understand what?" JJ prompted.

"That Cody can take care of himself because he grew up in the mountains. Matt doesn't totally understand because he spent high school here in Tahoe." Lisa sighed again at the look of confusion on the agent's face. "I guess I need to back up and explain that Jesse and Jackie separated when Cody was four and Matt was fourteen. Cody was raised by his dad in the cabin and Matt moved to Tahoe with his mom."

JJ tilted her head as the words registered. Something about the way the girl spoke of the adults bothered her. "You call your parents by their first names?" she questioned.

Lisa blinked for a moment then understanding dawned. "Oh, they didn't tell you? Jesse Hawkes isn't my father. He's my legal guardian because my parents were killed four years ago in a boating accident along with my half-brother. My dad and Jesse were friends in the Marines so I moved in with Jesse and Cody when I was eleven. I just call Cody and Matt my brothers because that's what they've become. My last name isn't even Hawkes. It's McMasters."

"Ahh. No, no one told me. I just assumed that you Jesse and Jackie's daughter."

"It's ok. I don't mind. Jesse and Jackie have become like my parents. It's just I feel weird calling them Dad and Mom. Like somehow I'm betraying my real parents."

JJ smiled. "That makes sense although if your parents trusted them enough to care for you, I'm sure they wouldn't mind."

"Maybe." Lisa stared at the table. "Someday."

* * *

Morgan watched Jackie fussing over her son. "Tell me about your relationship with Cody."

Jackie sighed softly. "It's not as good as I would like it to be. He's too much like his father." She glanced back at Morgan. "Jesse and I split when Cody was only four. Initially, I took him with me. But the longer he was with me, the more obvious it became that he needed to be with his father. He has a connection with the mountains that I can't explain. So, when he was six, he went to live with Jesse full time. I didn't see him again until he was twelve although he wrote letters to me every couple of months. It hasn't been until recently, that I've had much of a relationship with him at all."

"Why did you and Jesse split up?"

"Because I couldn't take worrying about him all the time. That da** ranger job almost killed him and even when he retired, it haunted him. He wanted to live on the mountain fulltime and cut himself off from civilization. I wanted the kids to know what the real world was like." She held Morgan's gaze. "Don't get me wrong, Agent Morgan. I love Jesse very much which is why we've never formally divorced but I can't live with him all the time."

Morgan nodded. "And Lisa?"

"She went to live with Jesse when she was eleven. That's when I started seeing more of Cody. Jesse would bring both of them down to Tahoe so she could spend time with me."

"Mrs. Hawkes, do you have any idea who would want to hurt your son?"

"No," Jackie shook her head. "I can't think of anyone who would want to hurt Cody. He's a good boy and unfortunately, I can't take credit for any of it."

* * *

Reid frowned at the evidence board he had constructed. Morgan has warned them that most of the information was circumstantial but it seemed almost impossible to come up with a plausible theory for hurting Cody.

"How are you coming?" Hotch appeared at the young doctor's side.

"There's not enough here. I mean we're talking about a sixteen-year-old boy who lives in a remote cabin with his dad and sister, he's homeschooled, and he doesn't have many friends. Hotch, none of this makes sense."

Hotch glanced at his watch. "Gideon and Prentiss should be back by now. Let's get back to the station and see what they've found out. Hopefully Morgan and JJ are back as well."

Reid put down his pen and followed the unit chief out the door feeling as though there was still a major piece of the puzzle missing.

* * *

"Thanks for the update Mom," Matt rubbed his face feeling more tired than he could have ever imagined.

"What's going on?" Jesse came to his son's side as he hung up the phone.

"They're going to go ahead and put the plates in Cody's leg. After the surgery is done, they're going to start weaning the ventilator. I guess the doctor is concerned that if he doesn't come off it soon, he'll have to have a tracheostomy," Matt said dejectedly. "How much more can he take Dad? What do we do now?"

Jesse closed his eyes. He had been afraid of this development having done some research of his own. "Pray Matthew. That's all we can do now."

Robin watched feeling her eyes fill with tears. She had known from the beginning how serious Cody's condition was because of her paramedic training. She swallowed hard trying to get a handle on her emotions. JJ touched her shoulder and offered a smile of consolation. Thankfully Hotch and Reid's arrival distracted everyone and notes from the day were quickly compared.

"So, we're back to square one. We have no motive and no suspects." Matt said frustration evident in his voice and body language. "Maybe we're wrong and this was just an accident. Maybe the lab got the samples wrong. Maybe…." His voice trailed off and his shoulders slumped.

"Poor Lisa," JJ murmured softly. Prentiss looked at her quizzically.

"Why poor Lisa? Don't you mean the whole family?"

"Of course, but this has to be especially hard on her because she's already lost one family including a brother and now, she could lose a second brother."

Gideon glanced over at the media liaison. "Lost one family?" he repeated.

Morgan also frowned. "Jackie didn't say anything about Lisa not being her daughter."

"Lisa is my ward. She's not my biological daughter. Her father and I served in the Marines together. He was on my Marine recon team." Jesse answered Gideon's question. "I'm sorry. I thought you knew that her family had been killed in a boating accident almost four years ago."

"Lisa's family was killed in an accident?" Reid asked. His eyes narrowed as an intense look of concentration came over his face. "What if this isn't about Cody at all?" he mumbled to himself. He hurried to the desk and punched in a number.

"FBI office for the goddess of knowledge. Speak to me."

"Garcia, I need you to look up something for me." Reid spoke quickly ignoring the stunned looks of the rangers at the tech analyst's bizarre greeting.

"Sure, junior G man. Whatcha got?"

"I need you to look up how many men were under the command of Jesse Hawkes. He was the lead of a Marine Recon team in?" Reid glanced over at Jesse.

"1973-1976," Jesse replied.

"Did you get that Garcia?"

"For those dates, there's six primary men other than Jesse. Two or three others rotated in and out but the main group was a group of six. Dwayne Stratton, Jerry McMasters, Scott Alexander, Thomas Jackson, Robert Langham and Brian Reynolds. Stan Everly and Ross Mickland were also part of the team as regular pilots."

"Are all six still alive?"

"Dwayne Stratton, Stan Everly, and Ross Mickland were killed in combat. Jerry McMasters died in a boating accident four years ago. The other four men are still alive."

"What about deaths in the immediate families of the remaining four?"

Garcia was typing even as Reid finished the question. "Oh, my goodness. Reid, you may be on to something. Brian Reynolds lost his wife and daughter in a hit and run. Robert Langham's wife died in a house fire. Thomas Jackson's three sons were killed rock climbing, and Scott Alexander's daughter died from an anaphylactic reaction to peanuts. The only person from that team who hasn't had a family member die is Jesse Hawkes."

"This isn't about Cody." Reid said staring at Jesse. "This is about you."

Jesse's face darkened. "Who would want to hurt my son because of me?"

"That's what we need to figure out. Garcia what kind of a radius are we looking at?" Gideon asked.

"Everyone lived in the western part of the country. Looks like California, Arizona, Nevada and Oregon and everything is dating back about six years or so," Garcia answered as she accessed more data.

"So how does one person cover that much territory?" Greg asked. The agent had received permission to stay in Tahoe with the others even though he wasn't part of the BAU team.

"He travels for work or he works a job that is mobile in of itself." Hotch answered.

"Or there could be an accomplice," Gideon added.

Suddenly Matt froze and the color drained from his face. Jesse spun around to stare at his son as a near snarled curse fell from the Ranger's lips causing the room to go completely silent.

"Matthew?!"

Matt was nearly vibrating from the force of the anger now coursing through him. "I just remembered the last thing Cody said to me before he stopped breathing in the ER. He told me to quote 'tell Dad I'm sorry I didn't fight _them_ harder'!" He stared at his father. "Cody was trying to tell me and I didn't understand what he was saying at the time."

Jesse went rigid. "Then Robin was right and none of this was accidental." The former ranger's eyes turned hard.

"Think back to the ER, Matt. Did Cody say anything else about who attacked him? Anything that could help us identify them?" Hotch asked.

Matt shook his head. "Not that I remember. But then again I didn't remember this until just now."

"Let's try something. Close your eyes and try to let yourself relax," Gideon instructed.

The ranger leader narrowed his eyes for a moment before taking a deep breath and obeying.

"Take a couple deep slow breaths for me and let your mind go back to the hospital. You're there with your brother and you just rolled into the ER room. Tell me what you're seeing."

Matt thought for a few moments before slowly answering. "Cody is semi-conscious. There's medical staff surrounding us and they're doing all kinds of things to him. There's a monitor over his head and it's beeping but I don't know what it means."

"What are you thinking and feeling at the moment?"

"I'm afraid. Afraid for my brother, myself, my family. What's going to happen if we lose him?"

"Okay. Is Cody talking to you right now?"

"Sort of. The doctor is asking him questions and he's answering them correctly. But he's really weak and he's covered in blood, dirt, and bruises."

"What else is he saying?" Gideon prompted.

"He doesn't want me to leave him. He's telling me that his arm won't move." Matt swallowed hard at his memories. "He tells me that he loves Mom and Lisa. I'm trying to reassure him and he tells me that…. that he's dying." He took a shaky breath. "Then he says to tell Dad he was sorry for not fighting them harder." Matt opened his eyes and blinked rapidly. "Then he said he loved me and he just stopped breathing."

Gideon smiled gently. "It's okay Matt. You've given us more to go on."

"Based on what you just said, I don't think Cody knew who attacked him," Prentiss said thoughtfully. "If he was coherent enough to communicate that there were two attackers, he would have said that he recognized them if he had."

A murmur of agreement went through the room as the FBI agent spoke.

"Whoever it was had to have been watching the cabin. Cody and Lisa don't have a set schedule," Jesse said quietly. "They must have followed him after he left home."

"Which means they are either from this area or have spent significant amounts of time here to study and learn the terrain."

"One thing is clear from this. These guys are patient. Every single one of these events could have been taken as an accident unless you were looking for the pattern. And we're talking about a six-year time frame. That's a long time to wait for revenge," Morgan pointed out.

"So, this is extremely personal to whoever our unsubs are," Reid added. "Mr. Hawkes can you think of anyone who would carry a grudge against you or your family?"

Jesse sighed. "I was a Marine and a US Marshal before I founded the Rangers. I don't even know where to begin with that kind of question. The only person that I can think of locally that hates me is T.J. and Bernie Cousins' father. But he doesn't have the resources to travel like this and Cody knows him. He would have recognized him."

"We'll take a look at him but it sounds like we can go ahead and rule him out," Hotch said.

"Is it possible for someone to spend a significant amount of time here and not be noticed?" Morgan asked.

"Of course. We're a tourist town so we have people coming and going all the time. There are hundreds of cabins that can be rented for various lengths of time. Adding in the multitude of campgrounds and someone could hide for months and never be seen." Cutler spoke from the corner of the room. "Most of the rentals are handled through two companies so I'll contact them and see if we can get lists of rentals."

"Focus on rentals longer than six weeks. Whoever is behind this attack has been here for a while. They would have had to learn the area and Cody's habits," Hotch directed. Cutler nodded before he left the room to make the necessary phone calls.

"So, we have some leads to follow. Once we get this list, we'll start working through the names and see if we can find any correlations," Gideon said.

"Dad, we need to track around the cabin and see if we can find anything. If these people were watching the cabin, then there has to be some signs." Matt shook his head. "I just don't know how we missed someone watching you."

Jesse sighed, "Depending on how close they were to the cabin, we may not have noticed simply because we're used to hikers being within a few miles of the cabin. And we weren't expecting that anyone would be hanging around."

Cutler came back into the room. "I got the after-hours manager. I can go pick up the information tomorrow morning."

"Good," Hotch replied. "I'll send Reid with you. Contact Garcia once you have the list and start eliminating possibilities."

"Hart, you and Izzy head up to Dad's and see if you can find any tracks." Matt instructed.

"I'll go with you too," Prentiss added. Hart acknowledged her with a quick nod.

"Alright, there's nothing more we can do tonight. Let's break for some food and rest," Hotch told his team and everyone scattered to their respective destinations. Once the station had emptied, Matt stepped out onto the porch. He was still frustrated with himself that he had forgotten what his brother had told him. He leaned against the rail staring out at the woods across the road. Jesse had headed back to the hospital to spell Jackie so she and Lisa could get something to eat. But Matt couldn't bring himself to head back there just yet.

"It's not your fault Matt and beating yourself up about it won't help anyone."

He turned to see Robin framed in the doorway.

"I wasn't thinking clearly. I should have realized what Cody was trying to say," Matt replied wearily.

"Matt, you just watched your brother basically die right in front of you. Of course, you weren't thinking clearly." Robin came to his side and half sat on the rail next to him. "You can't blame yourself."

"They're still out there and we could have been looking for them a week ago."

"We'll find them Matt. We have the advantage. We know that territory better than anyone else. That's why we exist."

Matt half smiled. "Now you sound like my dad."

"Where do you think I learned it?" Robin quipped. "I'm going to make some coffee. You want some?"

"Sure." He stood up and turned to follow her back inside. "Thanks Robin." The hairs pricked on the back of his neck and he glanced over his shoulder at the trees. Nothing moved so after a few moments, he continued on inside the station.

* * *

Christine sat in the car watching the door of the ranger's station. She was frustrated with both her failure to kill the girl and her brother's continued indifference. A simmering rage was building inside her as she continued her vigil. She stiffened as she watched Matt and Robin walk back into the station. Her hands clenched as she stared as the tall blonde who represented the last piece of their vengeance puzzle. The man suddenly turned and stared across the road as if he knew she were there and watching him. Christine let her lip curl up in a sneer as she knew she was too well hidden for him to see her.

"Enjoy your last few days Matthew," she whispered softly.

Allen stepped back into the alcove around the corner from the ICU. He had been watching the unit for two days and had quickly realized that getting into Cody's hospital room was going to be difficult at best. He didn't know how they had realized the fall wasn't an accident but the police presence made gaining access much more difficult. Suddenly snatches of the nurses' shift change report reached him.

"No one without a badge goes into room 7. If you don't know the visitor, ask the family and if they don't know the person then they aren't going in the room. The rangers, the police, and the FBI agents will show their badges before entering the room."

"Who is this kid? Normal people don't get this kind of security."

"He's the kid brother of one the High Mountain Rangers and apparently somebody tried to kill him. The Rangers don't want the person who hurt him coming back to finish the job."

Allen took a deep breath. "_FBI? How did the FBI get involved?"_ he thought to himself. He glanced around and seeing that no one was looking his way, made his way back to the parking lot. A few minutes later, Christine pulled up and he climbed inside before they spend off into the gathering darkness.

"When are we finishing the job with the Hawkes boy?" Christine asked.  
"I'm not sure. He's got a police deputy outside his door at all times. Plus, the FBI has gotten involved so everything is going to be more difficult." Allen stared out of the window as his sister drove. "I think the best thing to do is to lure Matthew up into the mountains and come back for his brother."

"What about Lisa?"

"Christine, I've already told you to forget about her. She isn't important. The Hawkes brothers are our priority."

"But!"

"No buts! We are this close to finishing our mission of avenging our father's death and I'm not going to let some misguided fixation on this girl ruin what we are trying to accomplish." Allen snapped at his sister.

Christine shut her mouth knowing she wasn't going to change her brother's mind. She focused on the road but still thinking to herself of ways to make sure that their task was finished and that included eliminating Lisa McMasters.


End file.
